Marcus Colbert Leads Bobcats Past Southern Utah

Saturday, February 13

2:05 pm

Montana State University

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Southern Utah

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Southern Utah

Montana State

Marcus Colbert dishes one of his nine assists

Photo by: Shellenberg Photography

2/13/2016 5:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Senior guard matches season high with nine assists

By: Bill Lamberty

Its lead shrinking and Montana State fighting to hold off a stubborn Southern Utah team Saturday afternoon in Worthington Arena, there was no doubt who would be called on to finish the job.

And Marcus Colbert delivered.

MSU's senior co-captain nailed a three-pointer and two free throws, and assisted on a pair of thunderous Zach Green dunks in the game's final 100 seconds, leading the Bobcats to an 80-73 win over SUU. "That's Marcus," MSU coach Brian Fish said succinctly.

Playing through an obvious leg injury that he laughed off as "old man pain," Colbert finished with 11 points, three boards, and a season-high nine assists. He was neutralized much of the game's first 35 minutes. Several of his teammates carried the load during that time. Freshman Tyler Hall followed Thursday's 29-point showing with 14 points, three assists and three steals, while junior forward Sarp Gobeloglu scored 13. Green and Quinton Everett added a dozen points each.

Fish praised Colbert's persistence and toughness. "It's a boxing match out there," he said. "They're trying to get a foul on him to get him on the bench. They know it, we know it, when he's on the bench we're not as good. The last time we played them he was on the bench most of the first half and that hurt us. I feel like the ring man over there, putting Vaseline on the cuts to try to keep him going and he just stays in the boxing match. I'm telling you, he's a fun kid to coach."

The Bobcats started strong Saturday, jumping to a 19-6 lead six-and-a-half minutes in against a Southern Utah squad missing two of its top three scorers. Everett fueled that strong start, out-scoring SUU 7-6 in the game's first 6:20. After the opening spurt MSU never led by less than 10 for the remainder of the half, which ended 40-26.

Montana State led 66-54 with 3:23 remaining in the game when the Thunderbirds made their move. A pair of free throws by Marshall and a triple by James McGee drew them within 66-59. A Tyler Hall three at 2:42 pushed MSU's lead back to nine, but McGee hit a three and an and-one free throw, and Marshall's jumper made it a one possession game.

"We got a little sidetracked," Fish said, "thought it was going to be easy, but when you watch Southern Utah play you can't tell the score through how they play on film. They play hard the entire game, I knew they would, and they're well-coached. I knew they'd play the whole game, and to get the win, I couldn't be happier."

All Southern Utah's too-little, too-late run accomplished was to set up Colbert's heroics. He dished on the first of Green's hammer dunks, then after two Marshall free throws he rattled in a trey with 1:01 to play. After a Race Parsons three-pointer for Southern Utah, Colbert again found Green streaking down the lane for another dunk. Colbert finished the game with a pair of free throws in the final 10 seconds.

At the game's end, Fish said he was pleased with the lesson this contest will teach his team. "To win a game like this," he said, "this will be the best thing that could have happened to us."

The win was significant in several ways for the Bobcats. It gives the team its first three-game conference win streak since it started the 2013-14 Big Sky season 3-0, and pushes the team over .500 in league play with a 7-6 record. MSU is 12-13 overall, while Southern Utah now stands 4-19 overall, 2-11 in the Big Sky.

Montana State visits Montana next Saturday for a 7 pm contest.